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“So what are you going to do about Sunday?” Erin asked “Dad’s going to flip out if you don’t bring this guy over”

“But if you do bring hionna break loose”

My nephews started arguing in the living roo, “Nuh uh!” and Brody screa apparently had an opinion on this

“Your dog’s gonna get me evicted from my apartment, Mo,” I told my sister

“He is not,” she said defensively

“Aren’t you going to go in there and break that up?” I asked Erin

She took a long drink of coffee and reached for another donut “Nope They need to learn conflict resolution”

I bonkedmy apartment by way of the fire escape Anotherto explode

Someone knocked on the door then, and Maureen leapt off the barstool and announced, “I’ll get it That’s probably Robbie He was going to come over when class let out” She and her fiancé were both students at SF State They were also joined at the hip

Erin said cal in the other rooain?”

“Can you please stop calling him that?” I shouted over the noise “He has a name”

All of a sudden, quiet descended on hed with relief My sister said, “Sorry What was his naain?”

“Dmitri,” I said softly as he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen

He held an absolutely delighted Brody on one hip and had Tippy the dog tucked under his other arm He smiled at me and set the toddler down, and Brody i like a little blonde leech There were tiny powdered sugar hand prints all over Dmitri’s black dress shirt, but if Dmitri noticed he didn’t seem to care

“Hi,” he said shyly, absently scratching Tippy’s ears

“Hi yourself,” I answered with a grin Dmitri seemed relieved at my reaction

Maureen had trailed into the kitchen behind Dlanced at Erin and saw she was doing the sa Brennan raced into the roo Dmitri like a tree